picchick Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Let's say you go to confession and you do not do your penance. Then you go back and are sorry for all your sins and you confess that you did not do your penance from the last confession. Is the priest able to with hold absolution? Meg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 A priest can withhold absolution. I had my favorite priest deny me absolution once. I had just thrown up on him, and pretty much everything in his living room, so I can't say I blame him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence06 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) [quote name='picchick' post='1844128' date='Apr 23 2009, 12:49 AM']Let's say you go to confession and you do not do your penance. Then you go back and are sorry for all your sins and you confess that you did not do your penance from the last confession. Is the priest able to with hold absolution? Meg[/quote] Meg, I would say the priest wouldn't withhold absolution because just from what you said here, no reason not to not give absolution. but like stated above, the priest is always able if he thinks your not really sorry or not going to amend your life or throw up on him. Edited April 23, 2009 by Spence06 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nihil Obstat Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 He'd probably try to give you a really intense penance the next time though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christie_M Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 [quote name='picchick' post='1844128' date='Apr 22 2009, 09:49 PM']Let's say you go to confession and you do not do your penance. Then you go back and are sorry for all your sins and you confess that you did not do your penance from the last confession. Is the priest able to with hold absolution? Meg[/quote] Firts off, did the person not do the penance intentionaly or just simply forgot to do it? And if so, then is the person truly sorry for not doing the penance. I think depending on that answer the preist would decide if he would with hold the absolution or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Alright, lets say the person did it on purpose...the person would forget...remember but not do it...forget and remember. But now he was really sorry and intented to do anything to make up for it. The priest could still withold? This just doesn't seem right. I understand and full agree with denying absolution if the person is not truly sorry. I learned that. But I not see how a priest could withold absolution if the person did not perform a penance but now has full intent to repent of his actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 You can also simply go to another priest. They are human too, and can hold grudges or be cranky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence06 Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 [quote name='picchick' post='1844612' date='Apr 23 2009, 05:24 PM']Alright, lets say the person did it on purpose...the person would forget...remember but not do it...forget and remember. But now he was really sorry and intented to do anything to make up for it. The priest could still withold? This just doesn't seem right. I understand and full agree with denying absolution if the person is not truly sorry. I learned that. But I not see how a priest could withold absolution if the person did not perform a penance but now has full intent to repent of his actions.[/quote] Yea, I know there are those priest's who still yell at people in confession so I mean, as great as the priesthood is, there are still very human and make mistakes. Most priests will not refuse absolution if anyone is sorry. But there are those that continue to believe they are a little higher then god himself sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 [quote name='Spence06' post='1846162' date='Apr 24 2009, 03:51 PM']Most priests will not refuse absolution if anyone is sorry. But there are those that continue to believe they are a little higher then god himself sometimes.[/quote] In total respect...I do know some. Thank you all for your answers. Although this did not happen to me, it sorta bothered me that it COULD happen. I am very, I guess you could say, sensitive to things that might drive a skeptical convert/revert way from the Church. I think that if someone is making an effort and shows that, they should recieve absolution. Of course I agree that if someone does not show any sign of repentence, refuses to say sorry, and such, that the priest has every right to refuse. Thanks again, Meg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 So now that the person has remembered, why don't they do the penance now?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 [quote name='nunsense' post='1847583' date='Apr 25 2009, 04:10 PM']So now that the person has remembered, why don't they do the penance now??[/quote] I think that if a person deliberately avoids it, it is a sin. That is what I had in question. They were deliberately avoiding it and confessed to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 [quote name='picchick' post='1847607' date='Apr 25 2009, 02:35 PM']I think that if a person deliberately avoids it, it is a sin. That is what I had in question. They were deliberately avoiding it and confessed to that.[/quote] Why? If they don't want to do the penance, why even bother going to confession? It doesn't sound like they really want reconciliation with God if they aren't prepared to show any contrition. Is this all just a hypothetical because it doesn't really make a lot of sense. I can understand someone refusing to do penance, but why would they then confess this? Is there more here than I am able to see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picchick Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 [quote name='nunsense' post='1847609' date='Apr 25 2009, 04:39 PM']Why? If they don't want to do the penance, why even bother going to confession? It doesn't sound like they really want reconciliation with God if they aren't prepared to show any contrition. Is this all just a hypothetical because it doesn't really make a lot of sense. I can understand someone refusing to do penance, but why would they then confess this? Is there more here than I am able to see?[/quote] The original scenario is this: A person goes to confession. Has a penance but does not do it. He is reminded on his own to do but does not do it. Then some time later (months, weeks, years) he is truly sorry for not doing it. Is prepared to confess all his sins, including not doing that penance and repent for it all. The priests says, "I cannot absolve you because you did not do your penance last time." Is this priest right in doing this especially if the person is truly sorry and is ready to repent of all his sins including not doing that penance? My point is this: a person may at one time refuse to do a penance but then after some time, realize how wrong he was and that he sinned and is ready to make amends. Does that person deserve to be denied absolution if he is genuinely sorry? Sure, he must not have been sorry enough to perform that first penance but isn't that the case with all our sins? We aren't sorry when we commit them but then later we are sorry and we go to confession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 (edited) [quote name='picchick' post='1847618' date='Apr 25 2009, 02:46 PM']The original scenario is this: A person goes to confession. Has a penance but does not do it. He is reminded on his own to do but does not do it. Then some time later (months, weeks, years) he is truly sorry for not doing it. Is prepared to confess all his sins, including not doing that penance and repent for it all. The priests says, "I cannot absolve you because you did not do your penance last time." Is this priest right in doing this especially if the person is truly sorry and is ready to repent of all his sins including not doing that penance? My point is this: a person may at one time refuse to do a penance but then after some time, realize how wrong he was and that he sinned and is ready to make amends. Does that person deserve to be denied absolution if he is genuinely sorry? Sure, he must not have been sorry enough to perform that first penance but isn't that the case with all our sins? We aren't sorry when we commit them but then later we are sorry and we go to confession.[/quote] I guess I am still not really seeing the whole picture because if this person remembered on his own but then didn't do the penance over a period of weeks, months or years!!) then it doesn't appear (to me) as if there is real contrition there. When we are truly sorry for something, then we want to make amends. If we have offended God and know that we are separated from Him, the most important thing should be to do everything possible for reconciliation - which includes penance. At the point when this person decided to go to Confession again (weeks, months or years later), why didn't he STOP, do an examen of conscience, realize that he hadn't done the penance yet, and then do it BEFORE entering the confessional? If the penance was something that for whatever reason, couldn't be done immediately at that time (must have been SOME penance!), then perhaps he could have told the priest that he really wants to do the penance but it was now impossible to do at that moment (once again, not sure why). But it would still be at the discretion of the priest to determine if he felt this person was really contrite, and really wanting to be reconciled to God. I tend to agree with the priest's decision here because it seems that he has shown no real contrition at all - or humilty - and that he is looking for an easy absolution - perhaps to rid himself of any guilt feelings - rather than seeking true repentence and reconciliation. I think the priest was right to make him wait until he had demonstrated this contrition by doing the penance first, and then going back to the priest and making a "good confession". If we offend God - it is OUR responsibility to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. The priest has to make the call - we aren't in the confessional with him to make that determination. If I were this person, I would see this as an opportunity to practice humility, and to come closer to God. Do the penance, go back and confess again, but this time with real sorrow for the sin, and a longing to be reconciled to God. This isn't a game of pride and ego - it is serous business involving the salvation of our soul! Edited April 25, 2009 by nunsense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slappo Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Really what should happen (in my opinion) is the priest ask what the original penance was, reassign that penance as well as another penance and then give absolution. It could very well be the case that the person confessing didn't even think to do the penance right before going to confession since the sin isn't so much that s/he hasn't yet completed the penance, but that s/he previously consciously chose not to do the penance. I've gone to confession before doing my previous confessions penance and not even confessed it because I didn't ever plan on not doing it. I think that time I went to confession two days in a row and the first penance was something beyond 4 our fathers. However, a priest always has the ability to withhold absolution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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